Getting my writing career off the ground

Over the last 10 days or so, the Lord reminded me that, since so many have said that I have a gift for writing things, He needs me to turn my full-time attention to writing. In the last few days, I have researched ways to make money blogging, which I am working on. I will also be working on finding outlets to get my written work more into the public (including submissions to various magazines). All of this will be with the end goal of being able to get my first actual book published, and to turn that into a series. I did want to note that it took me being taken to my worst point physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally before I realized the Lord was moving me in that direction. But after taking stock of where I am now versus where the Lord, Amy, and I myself need me to be, I have realized more and more what I need to change and do differently, and where my focus should lie. In the coming days, I will speak more of this change in mindset and more of what will be involved in making a career out of something I enjoy doing (as there is much unknown presently), but I just wanted to note that, for what it may be worth. Thanks to you all for your interest and support.

I have fixed the commenting issue once and for all (finally!)

Hello, all! It took me way too long to get this figured out, but I finally got Disqus removed permanently from my blog, and I have confirmed that comments can now be posted again without issue or incidence. I apologize for all the problems I had in this regard. I look forward to the comments beginning anew again. Thanks.

Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Gets New President/Changes to List of New Temple Presidents Called in 2017

Hello, all! I learned recently that the Church has called a new president for the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple, and the new presidency will serve for a few months prior to its scheduled renovation and for 2-3 years after the 2019 rededication. Additionally, the recent changes to the completion time-frame for the first three temples in 2018 may mean that the callings of the first presidents for those temples may not be noted by the Church until closer to their completion, so I eliminated that section from my list of those presidents that might be announced this year. Here is the updated version of that list:

New Temples whose presidents will begin serving later this year:

1.      Paris France (President announced in 2016; will begin formal service on May 21)

2.      Cedar City Utah (President  announced in March; will begin service on December 10)

3.      Tucson Arizona (President announced in March; will begin formal service on August 13)

4.      Meridian Idaho (President announced in April; will begin formal service in November 19)

Operating Temples whose president was changed earlier this year:

1.      Calgary Alberta (president changed sometime during March for an undisclosed reason, likely because the previous president died or became incapacitated)

General Note #2: Other operating temples, as has already been announced, will be getting a new president later this year as well, and if those changes take place as they did during my six-year service in the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple, the new presidents will start their service on the first Monday or Tuesday of November, which fall this year on the 6^th and 7^th. Those temples that will have a new president this year include the following:

1.      Apia Samoa

2.      Logan Utah

3.      Vernal Utah

4.      Toronto Ontario

5.      Snowflake Arizona

6.      Phoenix Arizona

7.      Salt Lake

8.      Bern Switzerland

9.      Quetzaltenango Guatemala

10.  Louisville Kentucky

11.  San Diego California

12.  Mount Timpanogos Utah

13.  Madrid Spain

14.  Bogota Colombia

15.  Edmonton Alberta

16.  Newport Beach California

17.  Adelaide Australia

18.  Kona Hawaii

19.  Caracas Venezuela

20.  Bismarck North Dakota

21.  Mesa Arizona

22.  Columbia South Carolina

23.  Ogden Utah

24.  Lubbock Texas

25.  Guayaquil Ecuador

26.  Fort Lauderdale Florida

27.  Los Angeles California

28.  San Salvador El Salvador

29.  Manila Philippines

30.  San Antonio Texas

31.  Tokyo Japan

NOTE: While this temple is scheduled to close for renovation later this year, the newly announced president will serve both before and after that process is completed.

32.  Baton Rouge Louisiana

NOTE: While this temple has been scheduled for renovation, the newly announced president will serve for a few months before and for a year or two after as well.

General Note #3: Temple presidents generally serve for around three years. With that in mind, I feel confident in predicting that the following temples may also have a new president announced:

1.      Buenos Aires Argentina

NOTE: The current president has been serving since this temple’s rededication in 2012. As that is well beyond the standard 3 years of service, it seems reasonable to assume that there will be such a change this year.

General Note #4: The presidents of the following temples would be marking their third year of service had they not closed previously for renovations. A new president may or may not be called this year for those temples.

1.      Freiberg Germany (Closed for renovation in 2014 and rededicated last year)

2.      Idaho Falls Idaho (Closed for renovation in 2015 and will be rededicated in less than a month)

General Note #5: The presidents of the following temples would be marking three years of service later this year if those temples were not closing for renovations within the next ten months. Therefore, there may or may not be a change.

1.      Asuncion Paraguay

NOTE: The current president has served since 2014, which means that this year would mark time for a charge. But this temple will close for renovation in October, one month before usual changes are made. As a subsequent rededication of this temple is anticipated sometime in 2019, it is more than likely that the Church will hold off on naming a new president until that time.

2.      Washington DC

NOTE: Though this temple president will have marked three years of service later this year, the temple will close for renovation next March. With that in mind, I could see the Church calling a new president this year for a few months prior to that renovation, or holding off on calling anyone until after the renovation is completed sometime during 2020.

General Note #6: The following two temples closed for renovations in the middle of their current president’s active service. Were it not for that, we would likely be seeing changes there as well.

1.      Jordan River (president has served since 2014; temple closed in 2015 and will be rededicated sometime next year, so a new president may not be called until sometime during 2020)

2.      Frankfurt Germany (president has served since 2013; temple closed in 2015 and will be rededicated sometime next year, so the president could be changed sometime within the next two years)